Bow-facing oar



2 Sheets-Sheet l FETEP 5B1-Lenk vB'Y Q AT TO R N EYS.

P. SCHENK BOW FACING O AR Aug., 18, 1936.

Filed sept. 22, 1934 2 'sheets-sheet 2 w 1.. mv

FETEF E DPTS-gi' i 4, @j /UW' ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE BOW-FACIN G OAR Peter Schenk, Ketchikan, Territory of Alaska, assignor of one-third to Fred F. Nimtz, Ketchikan, First District, Territory of Alaska Application September 22, 1934,V Serial No. 745,148

9 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to rowing apparatus and more particularly to devices y'of this character designed to enable an oarsman to face toward the bow of the boat while rowing.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a divided or bow-facing oar of improved construction which may be very easily applied and removed from operative relation to the boat, and in which there are no separable parts to become lost or misplaced when the oar is removed from the boat.

A further object resides in the novel and 'sturdy form of pivotal mounting for the oar `whereby suiiciently large bearing surfaces are 'ot'al mounting arrangement whereby the oar will have a limited tilting movement when released. Y Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which drawings:-

Figure l is a view in side elevation of the oar shown applied to the gunwale of a boat.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the oar shown applied to the boat.

Figure 3 is a top plan View showing portions broken away for illustrating certain details of construction.

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line L-IIV of Figure 3. Y

Figure `5 is a top plan view of the pivotal mounting for the oar.

Figure 6 is a transverse section on the line E`6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the bearing discs. I

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section through the anti-friction bearing means.

Referring to the drawings in detail and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Ythe' device comprises an oar proper em- (oi. 9-25) v bodying a blade'section A and a handle section B pivotally joined together by the coupling device C having detachable pivotal mounting upon the. mounting member or support D.

Referring rst to the specific construction of 5 the mounting member or support D, the same embodies an elongated lpreferably flat base or attaching plate 5 provided with suitably spaced apertures 6 adapted to receive suitable screws or other fastening elements 'I whereby the 10 mounting member may be secured longitudinally of the upper edge of the side or gunwale 8 of the boat. Projecting upwardly from one end of the base plate 5 is an end plate 9 having a ilat inner face arranged at a right angle to; the base plate. Extending longitudinally of the base plate 5 midway between the side edges of the plate is a cylindrical rock shaft Il) having anV integral web II extended along its lower side and spacing the shaft above' the baseplate as 20 clearly shown in Figures 2 and 6, This rock shaft I0 extends from the end plate 9 to a point closely adjacent the opposite end of the base plate and is provided adjacent its free end with a transverse slot I2 which opens at the upper 25 side of the shaft as shown in Figure 6. Pivotally rmounted along one edge portion of the base plate 5 in transverse alignment with the slot I2 is a keeper I3 adapted to be swung into the slot I2 and provide means for retaining the coupling 30 device C in operative relation upon the mount- `ing member. "The keeper I3 is notched out as at I3 and the web II is received in this notch when the keeper is closed over the rock shaft. As willbe observed in Figures 2 and 6, the web 35 II is of a thickness less than the diameter of the rock shaft.

Referring now'to the coupling device C, the same embodies a pair of elongated, spaced apart plates providing an upper Vor cover plate III 40 and a lower orV pivot plate I5 having rounded ends as shown in Figure 3. t Projecting upwardly from the lower plate I5 at spaced points along its longitudinal center line, are two pivot studs I6 which project vthrough the upper plate I4 45 and have threaded upper ends for receiving suitable nuts I1. 1

Pivotally mounted upon each of the studs I6 is a segmental gear I8 formed of ber or some such analogous material and having their teeth in intermeshing engagement. Each of the gears I8 is provided with a flat extension I9. The segmental gears I8 are mounted between the plates III and I5 by anti-friction means allowing ready and easy pivoting of the gears and of a construction eliminating wear upon the preferably fiber gears. Extended axially through each gear I8 is a bearing sleeve 20 for engaging the pivot studs and preventing wear upon the gears. Arranged over each Vface of the gears is a bearing disc 2| vhaving a diameterjslightly less than Ythe teeth of the gears. Encircling each pivot stud I6 at the confronting faces of each of Vthe plates I4V ing disc and may be retained in the 'openings' 26' in the `disc in any preferred mannersuch asiby prick punching or otherwise upsetting the metal slightly at the ends of the openings. `=Ea"ch ree' taining disc is provided with two concentrically arranged groups of ball bearings as shown in Ffgurek 3, and each ofthe bearing discs 2I- and 22 are preferably provided with annular raceways 21 in which Athe ball bearings rotate. rlhis provision ofthe raceways 21ialso assists resisting relative lateral yshifting of the bearing discs and reduces wearing strain upon the sleeve 20. It4 may here be well to state that the bearing discs 2I rotate with their respective gears I8.

,Extending transversely across the under side of the lower plate I3 midway between the ends thereof, isa bearingrextension lhaving a length equalA toithe width of the lower plate and having its sides rounded off into the under face of the lower plate asV at 3|. This bearing extension 30'is vprovided with a bearing grooveor socket 32 opening at the lower lside of the bearing extension and extending from end to end thereof. This elongated bearing groove l32 is slightly greater than semi-circular shape in cross section andprovides a pair of stop flanges 33'along the open side of the groove which coact with the webV II to limit rocking movement of the oar. The bearingrgroove 32 is of a size to Vhave a bear- Yirrgfft upon the rock shaft I 0 and the bearing extension 30 is ofrsuch length that when placed upon therock shaft, one end face of the extension will engageagainst the end plate .9 while the opposite endv of the extension. will vengage upon the inner face of the keeper I3 so that the plate ySandkeeper I3 act to limit shifting of Y the coupling device C on the mounting member Secured to the extension -I9 of each segmental vgear I8 is a longitudinallyV divided socket providing Yan attaching section 35 and a clamping section 36. The socket sections 35 and 36 have semi-circular-'shaped body portions provided withapertured ears 31 adapted to receive suitable clamping screwsor bolts 38 whereby -the sections may be clamped about the oar sections A andB. The inner end of each attaching section 35 is formed with an end-wall 40 which abuts against the kfiat outer end of the extension I9. A flange 4I extends at a right angle from the straight edge of the endwall Vandisfsecured to the extension I9 by suitable rivets/ortho like42. This manner of securing the socket to the extension of the segmental gearswith a substantially 'butt' joint provides a rigid coupling land will allow for the socket 'sections Vto be Arranged between companion sets the rock shaft.

keeper I3 to an open position as shown in Figure 6 and then the oar may be slid laterally so that the rock shaft Y groove or socket 32. The oar is slid along the shaft I0 Yuntil one end of the bearing extensionl 30 engages the end plate 9 and afterwhich the keeper I3 may be swung to its closed position in the slot I2 so that the oar is retained in position on the mounting member D. vWhen the oar is so positioned on the mounting member, the oar is free to rock vertically but the coupling defice C is held against swinging in a horizontal plane by the elongated rock shaft I0. When desiring to detach the oar from the mounting member-,-it is merely necessary to swing the keeper `I3 open and then slide the oar off of The stop flanges 33 not only limit rockingmovement of the oar but also prevent the oar from being lifted off of the rock shaft;

By having the elongatedwbearing between the coupling device C and mounting member D,a

sufliciently large bearing'surface isprovided such. Yas will not wear quickly and cause wobbling of the oar. By having the gears I8 formedof fiber or some such analogous material, the device will be practically noiseless in koperation thus rendering lthe device particularly well adapted for use when hunting or fishing.r Use of the fiber gears is made possible Ythrough the provision of Ythe novel mounting arrangement for the -gears eliminating all wear upon the gears duringoperation.

Changes in details lmay be made -to the form off invention herein :shown and describedwith out departing from the spiritof the invention :or thenscope ofthe following claims.- Y f What is claimed is: Y

l. In a bow-facing oar,the combination of a [supporting member provided with an elongatedY 4rock shaft, a coupling device embodying inter'- meshing gear segments each providedwithoar vsectionsecuring means, slidably tting` with an 4interlocking rocking connection onL the;v rook shaft, and keeperV means for releasablyretain- Vingzthe,` coupling device in'posit'ion onY the yrock 2. IIn a bow-facing oar, the combination of la supporting member having an elongated rock shaft on its upper side, a blade and handle .couplingdevicewhaving an elongated open ended bearing `groove Von its under sideffor s'lidably ttingon the rock shaft from one end of. the shaft, a flange along each, side of the :bearing vgroove for retaining the coupling deviceV against lateral movement off the shaft and limiting I!) is received in the bearing rocking movement of the coupling device on -th shaft, Vand releasable retaining means fori` retaining the coupling device against movementnlongitudinauy off of the shaft.

3. In a bow-facing oar, the combination of a supporting member comprising a base vpliante.-having an Yupstanding end plate at one .end` thereof, Va rock shaft extending from theendl plate in spaced relation above the base plate, an-oar coupling section having a grooved bearing extension s lidably fitting. on the rock shaft with an interlocking engagement, and releasable .keepermeans on the supporting member'and coacting with said end plate Vfor retaining the coupling section rockably mounted on the .supportingxmemben 4. In a bow-facing oar, the combination of .a supporting member comprising an enlongated base plate for attachmentlongitudinally off-the gunwale `of the boat, an upstanding abutment at one VVend of the base Vplate, a rock shaftflextending longitudinally of the base plate from said abutment, a web extending along the lower side of the rock shaft, an oar section coupling device having a bearing groove for slidably fitting on the rock shaft from one end thereof and provided along each side of the groove with flanges engageable with said web for limiting rocking movement of the coupling device, and a keeper at the opposite end of the rock shaft from said abutment for retaining the coupling device against longitudinal movement off -of the rock shaft.

5. In a bow-facing oar, the combination of a supporting member comprising an elongated base plate having an upstanding end Wall at one end thereof, a rock shaft extending longitudinally of the base plate from said end wall, a web connecting the rock shaft and base plate, an oar section coupling device having a bearing groove in its lower side for slidably fitting on the rock shaft from one end thereof and providing flanges engageable with said web for limiting rocking movement of the coupling device, and a keeper pivoted on the base plate and having interlocking engagement with the rock shaft for retaining the coupling device against longitudinal movement ofi' of the rock shaft.

6. In a bow-facing oar, the combination of a supporting member having an elongated rock shaft provided thereon, and an oar structure having a bearing portion provided with an elongated open ended bearing groove having an interlocking sliding connection on the rock shaft.

7. In a bow-facing oar, a coupling section having a pair of intermeshing gear segments each formed with a at extension having a straight outer edge, and an oar section socket for each segment, each embodying an attaching section having a flat end wall abutting said straight outer edge and a flange secured to said extension, and a clamping section coacting with the attaching section for clamping an oar section therebetween.

8. In a rowing device, a supporting member for attachment to the gunwale of a boat and provided with an elongated rock shaft, and an oar having a bearing extension provided with an elongated open ended bearing groove slidably receiving the rock shaft and permitting limited rocking movement of the oar on the shaft.

9. In a rowing device, a supporting member for attachment to the gunwhale of a boat and provided with an elongated rock shaft, andan oar having a bearing extension provided with an elongated open ended bearing groove slidably receiving the rock shaft and permitting limited rocking movement of the oar on the shaft and means carried by the supporting member and enacting with the rock shaft for retaining the oar against movement longitudinally of the rock shaft.

PETER SCHENK. 

